Amherst, NY: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Amherst ( ) is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census. It is the 14th most populated municipality in New York. The second-largest in area and the most populous suburb of Buffalo, the town of Amherst encompasses the village of Williamsville as well as the hamlets of Eggertsville, Getzville, Snyder, Swormville, and East Amherst. The town is in the northern part of Erie County and borders a section of the Erie Canal. Amherst is home to the north campus of the University at Buffalo, a campus of Erie Community College, a satellite cam…

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How Amherst ranks

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#73Highest graduation rate in NY #100Most educated in NY #113Fastest growing in NY All NY rankings →

Town numbers

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Area code716

Living in Amherst

Housing in Amherst

$385K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $385,000 in May 2026.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market9

Sale-to-list107.7%

Sold in May77

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Amherst

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

Amherst reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 65% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 76%.

Violent crime per 1,000

Amherst 1.4

New York 3.7

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Amherst 21.3

New York 15.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Amherst

All Amherst schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Amherst’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 73% of New York’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#72Best public schoolsof 484 in NY

DistrictWILLIAMSVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools32

WINDERMERE BLVD SCHOOL C+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 738 students SMALLWOOD DRIVE SCHOOL BElementary · Grades PK–5 · 708 students MAPLE WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL B+Elementary · Grades K–4 · 670 students HEIM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BElementary · Grades K–4 · 661 students MAPLE EAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A-Elementary · Grades K–4 · 597 students DODGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL B+Elementary · Grades K–4 · 590 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NY. Ratings are from neighbors.